Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates

• UAE – All ports operational
  • Khor Fakkan Port not accepting any containers for Exports neither empties nor laden to manage the terminal capacity
• Kuwait
  • Shuwaikh - Operational,
  • Shuaiba - Partially operational
• Saudi Ports – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational
• Hamad – Operational
• Bahrain – Operations Suspended on 12^th & 13^th March
• Oman
  • Sohar - Operational
  • Salalah – Operations Suspended after incident on 11^th March
  • Duqm - Operational
• Beirut – Operational
• Aqaba – Operational

Important Note:

• Hormuz Strait is still closed and hence most ports in the Arabian Gulf though operational are not receiving vessels, and the port operations are limited to on the ground container movements
• So far Khor Fakkan, Sohar and Jeddah are coming out are the three main Gateways into the Upper Gulf depending upon the final POL or POD outside M.E
• DP World is offering Bonded Truck service from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to Jebel Ali Port
  • Final clearance at Jebel Ali Port
  • Service applicable for both local Import and Free Zone shipments
  • Similar service also provided by other vendors to Sharjah & Abu Dhabi Port
• Similar service also being offered to Sharjah & Abu Dhabi
• Government of India has also issued a SOP to major Indian ports to mitigate the impact through collaborative steps, concessions and prioritization of Middle East shipments

• Extended or special F/T do not apply any longer on any of the diverted shipments, and will be changed to either standard or zero days
• F/T removal though applies to all diverted shipments, but we see that for shipments diverted to Khor Fakkan this needs to be strictly followed as the Terminal is taking these steps to avoid the buildup of any congestion
• For diversions to ports outside the M.E, carriers are giving the option of COD at an additional cost
• There will continue to be an increase of these offloads, and they are being monitored closely by the Ops teams
• Various carriers have announced they will end journeys early, omit ports or return back

• HMM announces Declaration of Deviation for shipments bound to Middle East, and all shipments are imposed with an additional cost of $1000/Container
• Carriers have ships trapped within the Arabian Gulf and they are working on clearing the cargo on-board them and then deploying at least some of these Vsls as shuttle for Intra-Gulf movements, taking away the need for trucking solutions all the way to countries like KW/BH/QA/IQ and thereby easing the pressure on Truck availability which is a huge concern along with border delays and backlogs
• Declaration of Deviation made by HMM for all vessels enroute to the M.E and an additional Deviation cost of $1,000/Container
• Maersk also now accepting Empty returns only at Salalah, Sohar & Jeddah
• MSC declared End of Voyage for exports from Arabian & Persian Gulf that couldn’t leave the Hormuz Strait before the start of the conflict
• MSC has stopped booking acceptance for Gulf on their Falcon service until further notice
• On 3^rd March MSC declared End of Voyage for all shipments located ashore or at Sea and destined for the Arabian Gulf. Shipments will be diverted to another port deemed safe subject to $800/Container mandatory charge and any other charges that may arise
• Solution are being offered from Asia to Iraq via the eastern ports of Turkey like Mersin and Iskenderun
• COSCO all bookings to/from Upper Gulf except Oman, Jeddah, Fujairah & Khor Fakkan have been suspended
• Evergreen suspends all bookings to/from the Middle East except of Jeddah and Omani ports
• YML acceptance of all new bookings to Arabian Gulf ports remains suspended
• CMA CGM stopped acceptance to reefer & DG bookings
• CMA CGM has stopped accepting any bookings to/from BH, KW, IQ, QA, KSA (except JED, KAP) and AE (except KLF & FUJ)
• Currently however, CMA CGM has also halted acceptance of bookings from KLF and SOH due to congestion building up due to limited yard space
• CMA CGM has activated Clause 10 with regards to the diversion of cargo on Vsls CMA CGM Nevada and CMA CGM Don Pascuale, giving cargo owners 7 days to decide on the fate of their cargo
• CMA service suspended passage through the Suez Canal, now halted until further notice, vessels being rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope
• Effective immediately Maersk has suspended all reefer, dangerous / special cargo acceptance in and out of UAE, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia until further notice
• Maersk has suspended M.E related services FM1 and ME11. While ME1 service from Europe is no longer calling Jebel Ali port. Hapag Lloyd also impacted by this change
• Maersk has also suspended all new bookings between the India Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) and the Upper Gulf markets of UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail only), exceptions will be made for critical foodstuff, pharma and other essential goods
• Maersk has also suspended all DG cargo movement to/from Isreal, rest remains open
• Main liners are still accepting bookings from Europe & Americas Eastbound to the Red Sea
• Gemini and Maersk standalone services will not route via the canal as previously announced.
• SeaLead continues to transit via Bab Al Mandab, along with other carriers like PIL, ESL etc
• Hapag Lloyd has suspended all bookings to Upper Gulf except Jeddah
• All carriers have now officially halted/suspended any transit via Hormuz Strait due to security reasons and are not accepting any bookings to/from or via the Arabian Gulf Ports

• No information or declarations from Carriers

• Surcharges & Cost Implications: As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, carriers may introduce additional charges to compensate for increased operational and security‑related risks. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
• War Risk Surcharge: Given the heightened regional security environment, carriers and insurers may introduce or adjust war‑risk premiums. These may apply to cargo already in transit as well as to new and future bookings.
• Emergency Surcharge (ES): At least one major carrier has announced an Emergency Conflict Surcharge, and additional carriers may implement similar measures depending on how operational conditions develop.
• Bunker Adjustment Charge (BUC): With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and suspended transits through the Bab Al Mandab Strait, many vessels are now rerouting via significantly longer alternatives, including the Cape of Good Hope. Rising oil prices driven by these disruptions are expected to push global bunker costs upward, and carriers are likely to pass on these additional fuel‑related expenses.

Vessels Attacked In Arabian Gulf / Strait Of Hormuz

• MKD Vyom - Tanker
• Skylight - Tanker
• Athe Nova - Tanker
• MT Hercules Star - Tanker
• Ocean Electra (Star Electra) - Tanker
• Sea La Donna - Tanker
• Safeen Prestige - Container
• LCT Ayeh - Tanker
• Stena Imperative - Tanker
• Libra Trader – Tanker
• Musaffah 2 - Tanker
• Sonangol Namibe – Tanker
• Prima - Tanker
• MSC Grace – Container
• Gold Oak – Bulk
• Pelagia - Bulk
• Unknown Vsl – Tugboat
• Mayuree Naree – Bulk
• ONE Majesty – Container
• Star Gwyneth – Bulk
• Safeesa Vishnu – Tanker
• Zefyros – Tanker 

• Spot rates are rising, GRIs, War Risk and other related surcharges are being applied across the region and beyond
• Expect rising Bunker cost with the closure of the strait oil prices will increase and the bunker eventually as a result
• Anticipate congestion in Gulf ports and Asian transshipment hubs depending on rerouting of current cargo
• Equipment imbalance likely, with shortages of empties at a later stage

• Closed airspaces: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Yemen
• Open airspace in the region:  Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman 

• Oman / MCT – operational
• UAE / DWC, DXB, AUH – limited operations only, expected to reopen
• Qatar / DOH – not operational, expected to reopen
• Saudi Arabia –airports operational
• Bahrain – not operational 

• Middle Eastern Carriers will have to clear backlogs before accepting new bookings
• Air carriers have restricted operations to Middle East destinations, capacity constraints 

• Due to foreseeable impact on jet fuel price, carriers started to introduce FSC increases
• Indirect impact: Routing changes on EU-AP and AP-EU lanes lead to increased operating cost
• Alternative routings of GCC bound shipments will attract additional lead times and rate adjustments 

• Airspace and airport closures led to significant impact on global airfreight capacity
• Short to mid term rate increases on all sectors to/from Middle East will see increases
• Indirect impact on other global network lanes unavoidable due to limitation of available capacity 

• Rates adjustments: Airfreight rates to Middle East region have been suspended, rate levels to other regions will be updated on regular basis including temporary adders
• Airfreight rate originating from Europe, Asia and Americas will be subject to temporary adders on lane level
• Fuel surcharges subject to increase

• UAE customs is operational and all is working as of now

• Customs Operational in all ports

• Kuwait customs is operational and all ports are functioning - But airspace is closed

• Hamad International Airport: Customs operational in all ports
• Hamad Port: Customs operational in all ports
• Abu Samra Border: Customs operational in all ports

• Bahrain Airport Services:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• Khalifa Bin Salman Port:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• King Fahad Causeway:  no operation at airport and sea port today 

• Airport: 
  • customs operational in all ports
• Seaport:
  • Apart from Salalah port, Customs operational 

• BGW, EBL and BSR Airpots / UQ: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended
• IKB border with Turkey: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended

Q: Which ports will be used for diverted ocean cargo?

Khorfakkan, Sohar and Jeddah are the three main gateways carriers now use for diverted cargo, depending on vessel origin.

Q: Can containers discharged in Sohar or Khorfakkan move under bond into the UAE?

Yes. An in‑transit clause on the BL allows bonded road movement into Jebel Ali without full clearance in Oman.

Q: Is Jebel Ali operating?

Jebel Ali remains operational but inaccessible to vessels due to the Strait of Hormuz closure; cargo must enter via alternative ports.

Q: Is reefer or DG cargo accepted in Jeddah?

Reefers and DG are largely restricted except for pharma or critical goods, as prioritised by carriers.

Q: Will the region face container shortages?

Yes. Equipment turnover is slowing because containers are stuck longer and export flows are disrupted.

Q: Do documents need to change when POD shifts?

No new documents are required—only an in‑transit clause added for secondary‑country routing.

Q: What happens to cargo discharged in Mumbai or Colombo?

DHL can arrange cross‑stuffing and re‑export to Sohar, Salalah or Jeddah depending on carrier options.

Q: Is sea freight to Saudi still bookable?

Bookings are possible via Jeddah or Sohar depending on origin and carrier routing.

Q: Is Oman fully open for ocean imports and exports?

Yes. Sohar and Salalah are fully operational for inbound and outbound containers.

Q: Will congestion worsen at alternative ports?

Yes. As more vessels divert, congestion and longer inland transit times are expected.

Q: What is the status of shipments stuck in Doha?

Shipments are accessed via road from Dubai or Saudi and forwarded into Qatar until airside operations fully return.

Q: Are DHL Express network flights operating?

Yes. Network flights operate into Riyadh and Oman with uplift increasing daily.

Q: Are airfreight options available from Europe to GCC?

Yes. Uplift is available via Riyadh, Dubai and Muscat with gradually improving capacity.

Q: What is outbound capacity from UAE to Africa?

Commercial uplift from Dubai is active and increasing, with Emirates ramping up schedules.

Q: Is Kuwait receiving airfreight?

Kuwait airspace remains restricted; routing is being handled through Riyadh, Dubai or Oman.

Q: Are pharma and DG accepted by air?

Pharma is accepted; DG acceptance depends on airline restrictions and available routings.

Q: Is bonded trucking across the GCC possible?

Yes. Bonded movements from Jeddah, Sohar and Salalah into the GCC are active.

Q: Is multimodal routing via Saudi available?

Yes. Sea–road multimodal routing via Jeddah and Oman is active for shipments into GCC markets.

Q: Can DG move by road from Jeddah or Egypt to Dubai?

Yes, via temperature‑controlled or DG‑certified trucking where required.

Q: Are there truck shortages?

No shortages yet, though demand is high; additional fleet capacity has been activated.

Q: Can own trailers be used for Qatar or GCC clearance?

Yes, depending on customs approval and proper transit documentation.